Sweeping apparatus for railway ballast regulators

Abstract

An improved broom element, means for loosely attaching the broom element to a broom element holder and orientation of broom elements on a broom reel of a railway ballast regulator is provided. The apparatus significantly reduces the time and effort required for maintenance of broom elements and reduces the stresses which can increase the wear on the broom elements and the sweeper unit of the ballast regulator.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A railway broom sweeping unit comprising: broom reel;   a plurality of broom element holders affixed to the broom reel and each having opposed side walls parallel to the axis of the broom reel and spaced apart a first distance;   a plurality of broom elements having parallel side walls at a first end thereof spaced apart a distance less than that of the spacing between the opposed side walls of the broom element holder and adapted to fit loosely within the broom element holder when the respective parallel sides are in alignment; and   securing means for loosely interconnecting the broom element with the broom element holder at its first end permitting relative movement of the broom element within the broom element holder.   
     
     
       2. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 1 wherein the securing means is a pin cooperating with aligned apertures in the broom element holder and the first end of the broom element. 
     
     
       3. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 2 wherein the apertures are through the opposed side walls of the broom element holder and perpendicular to the parallel side walls of the broom element. 
     
     
       4. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 3 wherein the opposed side walls of the broom element holders at their upper extremities are contoured away from the interior of the broom element holder. 
     
     
       5. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 4 wherein the broom element holders are arranged in a helical disposition around the circumference of the broom reel. 
     
     
       6. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 1 wherein each broom element holder includes therein a plurality of seats for retaining a plurality of broom elements. 
     
     
       7. The railway broom sweeping unit of claim 6 wherein the broom element holders are arranged helically around the broom reel.